China Guide 2008

Just over an hour south of Guilin, Yangshuo, with its natural scenery and laid back air, is a great escape from the gray and pollution of China’s big cities.

The town of Yangshuo is a backpacker’s paradise. Quirky souvenir shops and essential services like internet cafés, telecom services, food guzzling corners and pharmacies abound. Yangshuo town has flourished so swiftly that it is practically unrecognizable from the latest edition of whichever guidebook you own – new streets have sprouted up with shops offering all sorts of comfort foods, the main thoroughfare has been widened to accommodate the growing volume of traffic. Clusters of shops selling herbs, teas and daily provisions line the inner alleyways.

A lively buzz hums throughout the cobbled streets. Young and old gravitate towards the chill-out joints, especially along West Street (xījiē西街), a 2km stretch crammed with shops, pubs, cafés and hotels. Here’s where flickering neon lights have replaced red lanterns and the air is rich with band music and banter. (more…)

Few talk about Shenzhen without making reference to its modest origins as a tiny fishing village. While much of its obscure 6,000-year history has been lost, its present incarnation as one of the fastest growing cities in China is nothing less than miraculous. The area consists of three parts, Shenzhen City, Shenzhen County and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is the business and financial center of the city. As one of the first cities to “open” with economic reforms in 1979, and situated next to Hong Kong, sleepy Shenzhen went from village to metropolis in just over 20 years, and is now a magnet for fortune-seekers.

Many people are drawn to Shenzhen by a certain energy, what locals call “Shenzhen speed.” Speed is the catchphrase here that accounts for the opening of one supermarket per day and the prosperity of trade and leisure. Efficient and courteous service is a merit of Shenzhen. In this highly commercial and competitive society, 24 hours of delivery is offered by your neighborhood stores for any purchase down to a lump of soap. (more…)

Pearl-white beaches and swaying palms greet visitors to China’s tropical paradise. Whether sipping coconut milk as the clean ocean water laps at your feet or floating through a coral jungle, Sanya is the place to go if the words “beach, sun and fun” comes to mind.

When southerners head to China’s frozen northeast to catch the snow sculptures and ice lanterns in the winter, the northerners stream south to Hainan Province for Sanya’s sun drenched beaches and luxuriant jungles. On the southern most point of China’s southern most provinces, when the rest of China freezes in frigid winters, Sanya remains balmy and sun worshippers strut down the beach in speedos and bikinis digging their toes into the white sand. It’s hard to imagine that this holiday paradise was once considered a place of exile. Disgraced officials were as far away as possible and this steamy island on the edge of imperial China represented the end of the world.

One of the best beaches in Hainan is 28km southeast of Sanya at Yalong Bay (yàlóng wān 亚龙湾). This 7km long crescent shaped beach is one long strip of clean white sand bordered rolling blue waters and luxury hotels. The pristine waters off this beach are amazingly clear with underwater visibility up to 10m. This lends itself to great scuba diving and snorkelling, two of the most popular activities. For those who aren’t inclined to get wet, boats with glass bottoms sail the waters off the beach allowing an equally impressive view of life under the sea. Speed demons can go for rides on motorboats or rent jet skis and zip over the waves. For something not involving water, take to the air for a seagull-eye-view of the beach by going parasailing. (more…)

Nanning’s mixture of natural beauty and ethnic flavor is a great for travelers who want to get away from bustling cities, but still want their conveniences. Full of colorful sights and lush parks, Nanning is a park city that will dazzle any visitor.

Towering buildings and chaotic traffic are all too common in modern China, which makes a trip to Nanning all the more pleasant. Given that Nanning is capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the same region that’s home to the legendary Guilin and Yangshuo, you can bet Nanning has some spectacular scenery. Set in a subtropical climate with palm trees lining the streets and parks, the city enjoys year round sun and with 40% of the city covered in green space, the locals boast with pride that their city is half-park and half-city.

The city’s long history begins with the Bai Yue, a group who were the first inhabitants of the area. Development began in earnest when the Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a united China, incorporated the region into his empire. The Zhuang ethnic minority makes up the bulk of the population, but with over 30 ethnic groups, the city is an eclectic mix of colors and cultures. (more…)

Guilin’s limestone karst mountains and Yangshuo’s laidback setting have long drawn backpackers and nature enthusiasts. With the Li River serving as a backdrop, the surrounding area is an emerald waiting to be explored.

“Guilin’s scenery is the most beautiful under heaven,” so goes a Chinese saying describing the immortal beauty of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s Guilin. Boats float down the charming Li River (líjiāng 漓江) as limestone karst mountains jut from the ground like dragon’s teeth. This immortal scenery can be seen on the back of the RMB 20 notes.

While Guilin is far from the crush of other Chinese cities, it is becoming developed and is a major tourist destination. Like many places in China, its history can be traced further back than many nations in the West. During the Han dynasty, Guilin became the political and economic center of Guangxi and continues to thrive today. (more…)

Few cities have developed as quickly as Guangzhou and while many guides may treat its metropolitan atmosphere with disdain, the city has many attractions for those who seek them out.

During the Tang dynasty, thousands of trade ships visited Guangzhou annually; a large community of Arab traders lived in the old Muslim quarter, now Liwan, dealing in exotic commodities such as pearls, rhino horns and hawksbill turtles.

Situated on the Pearl River (zhūjiāng 珠江), Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and was the epicenter of the West’s semi-colonization of China, which began in the 19th century. The two Opium Wars both began here and following years of often violent and turbulent relations with the West, foreigners have now returned under the auspices of China’s economic reforms. Under Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, the first Special Economic Zones (SEZ) were created in the south, and when these economic experiments flourished, Guangzhou were quickly adopted the same economic reforms. The city soon became an economic role model for the rest of China. The surrounding province continues to be by far the most developed and wealthy in the country. (more…)